Doob-latch



L'` HILDRETH.

DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION min SEPT. 4. 1919.

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.Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

M01/M ed, 0

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE HILDRETH, OE LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

DOOR-LATCH.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE HILDRETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door- Latches; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to latches for swinging doors and more particularly to those of the type designed primarily for use upon automobile doors. The latches in common use, require that the doors be closed with considerable force, in order that the locking bolt may be forced inwardly against its spring, in position to be projected by such spring when the door is completely closed. This necessary difficulty in operation is injurious to both the door and the adjacent portion of the body, as well as being detrimental to the latch, and it is therefore the object of my invention to overcome such diihculty by the provision of a novel form of fastener acting directly on the latch bolt for holding the latter in retracted position, each time it is released for opening the door, said fastener having a portion disposed in the path of the keeper or strike carried by the door frame, whereby to release said fastener automatically when the door is closed, thus allowing the bolt to project to operative position.

lVith the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, Vthe descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is an upper edge view of a latch embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the position of parts when the latch is in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with parts in vertical section, illustrating the bolt secured in retracted position.

F igs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections on the planes of lines 4 4 and 55 of Figs. 2 and 3 respectively.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the plane of line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

In illustrating my invention, l have shown a common form of automobile door Specification of Letters Patent. Patented WIgug 30, 1920. Application filed September 4, 1919.

Serial No. 321,515.

latch such as those used on the Ford machine. This latch comprises a rectangular attaching plate l bent laterally at one end at 2 for engagement with the oblique attaching plate 3 which carries the keeper or strike 4. The plate 3 is adapted for mounting on the door frame, while the plate 1 is suitably attached to the door 5. The plate 1 carries a horizontally elongated rectangular bolt casing 6 in which is slidably mounted a bolt 7 coacting with the strike or keeper 4, both the casing and plate 1 being provided with openings 8 in which said strike is receivable as seen most clearly in Fig. 4. A vertical hand lever 9 extends across the interior of the casing 6 and is received in a notch 10 in the bolt 7 for retracting said bolt against the tension of the usual spring 11, and to normally hold said hand lever in upright position, is a sliding block 12 forced against said lever by a spring 13.

All of the parts so far described are of well known construction and are set forth merely for the purpose of disclosing the old structure with which my improvements coact, such improvements consisting in the provision of a novel means for retaining the bolt 7 in retracted position.

1n the preferred embodiment of my invention, I rivet or otherwise secure one end of a fiat spring 14 to the outer side of the casing 6, said spring extending longitudinally of said casing with its free end 15 extending partly across the opening 8 of said casing, in position to strike the keeper 4 when the door is closed. The spring 14 is provided with an inwardly extending detent 16 received in an opening in the casing 6 and adapted to snap into a socket 17 in the bolt 7, when the latter is retracted. By the construction shown or an equivalent arrangement employing a detent and a spring actuated carrying member therefor extending partly across the opening 8 of the casing, the latch. is greatly improved. When the lever 9 is operated to retract the bolt 7 and the door starts on its opening movement, the detent 16 snaps into the socket 17 as depicted in Fig. 5, thus retaining the bolt 7 in retracted position against the tension of the spring 11, while the door remains open. The parts 12 and 13 however return the handle 9 to vertical position in the usual manner. When the door is closed, the free end 15 of the detent carrying member or spring 14 strikes the keeper 4L, thereby withdrawing the detent 16 from the socket 17 and allowing spring 11 to project the bolt 7.

By constructing the device in the novel manner shown, it may he easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, and will be highly eflicient and desirable. I wish it understood however that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may Well he made.

I claim:

The combination with a latch casing having a notch in one end, a relatively fixed keeper for reception in said notch when the door is Closed, and a spring projected bolt in said casing for coaction with said keeper, said bolt having a socket in one side; of a detent passing slidably through one side of said casing for reception in said socket to hold said bolt in retracted position, and a spring carrying said detent, said spring being` secured at one of its ends to said side of the casing and having its other end positioned across said notch to be struck by said keeper, whereby to release said bolt.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

LAVRENCE HILDREIH. 

